Veteran WSJ Reporter, Michael Casey Joins CoinDesk As Chairman

Michael Casey to assemble respected board of advisors, introduce weekly column, and lead new company initiatives

New York, NY – September 20, 2017 – Michael J. Casey, an 18-year veteran of the Wall Street Journal, globally renowned co-author of The Age of Cryptocurrency, and Senior Advisor at the MIT Media Lab’s Digital Currency Initiative, has today joined CoinDesk, the leading media, events and information services company for the digital asset and blockchain technology community as Chairman of its Advisory Board. Michael Casey will assemble a board of advisors from top leaders and influencers in business, technology, and policy. Together, they will shape and enhance the programming of CoinDesk’s marquee Consensus conference, where the blockchain industry convenes annually for thought leadership around the evolution of this critical new technology. In addition, Casey will publish a weekly column called The Token Economy and advise on CoinDesk’s broad strategy to sustain and advance its role as the trusted information leader for this rapidly growing industry.

Chairman of the Advisory Board Michael Casey said, “It’s a privilege to join CoinDesk, the most respected and widely regarded media, events, and information services outlet in the fastest growing industry of our generation. Blockchain technology is a platform for the global economy of the future, but its optimal development depends, among other things, on a trusted media playing a checking role. I see CoinDesk, a clear leader in this field, playing that role through in-depth analysis, investigative reporting, and objective chronicling of the rising token economy. Together with an extraordinary team already assembled at CoinDesk, I am excited about lifting the world’s largest annual summit for blockchain technology, Consensus, to even greater heights.”

Now in its fourth year, Consensus is the world’s leading blockchain summit, bringing together thousands of attendees and more than 250 elite speakers within the blockchain and digital currency economy. Under Casey’s leadership, the board will work to ensure that Consensus programming connects and drives innovation across financial institutions, enterprise tech leaders, academic, and policy groups. Functioning as a North Star to this actively expanding community, it will help assist with core principles and content of the conference so that it serves as broad a range of global blockchain stakeholders as possible.

With a comprehensive background in economics, foreign policy, and emerging technology, Casey has been a visionary force in blockchain research, development and education across the globe. He has advised several governments and businesses on the deployment of digital currency and blockchain as a way to build sustainable, digital economic models of the future. At MIT, Casey helps incubate blockchain-related projects, focusing on social impact and the developing world, and he mentors students looking to employ this technology in a wide range of settings.

CEO of CoinDesk Kevin Worth said, “Michael has been at the forefront of blockchain and digital currencies for several years now and will bring tremendous expertise to CoinDesk. We have seen rapid growth in the evolution of blockchain technology and in CoinDesk’s digital and event operations. We look forward to collaborating with Michael on the company’s next phase of growth.”

Casey added, “Now that we’ve moved into a more global, interconnected, and the digitally-run world, we need a system for intermediating the core economic challenge of trust that’s commensurate with that borderless economic structure. Blockchain technology can play that role. And like any groundbreaking technology, especially one with a critical social dimension like this one, it needs a reliable translator to articulate accurate information and explore real-world applications with fair and critical investigative work. CoinDesk meets that Fourth Estate responsibility for blockchain technology.”

Casey will begin his weekly column for CoinDesk, The Token Economy, today.

Chairman of CoinDesk Advisory Board Michael Casey and CEO of CoinDesk Kevin Worth are available for interview

About CoinDesk:

CoinDesk is the leading digital media, events and information services company for the digital asset and blockchain technology community. Its mandate is to inform, educate and connect the global community as the authoritative daily news provider dedicated to chronicling the space. CoinDesk hosts its annual Consensus summit, the largest blockchain technology gathering in the world, and now, Consensus: Invest, an event designed to showcase the new asset class to wealth managers across the globe. CoinDesk publishes The State of Blockchain, the ultimate, must-read analysis on the growth in this emerging new technology.